Ebola forces Sierra Leone to skip Youth Olympics in China

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Sierra Leone’s National Olympic Committee says its delegation for the upcoming youth games was asked not to travel to China because of an outbreak of Ebola.

The president of the committee, Patrick Coker, said the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone said the delegation “might find themselves in a troubled and awkward situation once they get to China’s port of entry.”

More than 1,000 people have died in an Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has touched Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria. The outbreak has forced qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations to be moved from the affected countries.

The Youth Olympics begin Saturday in Nanjing, China. The 12-day event features more than 3,000 athletes from around the world, from the ages of 15 to 18.